Posts Tagged ‘terrorist release’

Justice Minister Tzipi Livni announced on Thursday that the planned upcoming fourth release of terrorists has been cancelled, ostensibly because the Palestinian Authority broke the terms of the peace talk and unilaterally tried to join 15 UN connected international conventions.

In further response, Israel has cancelled all high level communications between Israeli ministers and the PA, and all communications will now be handled an IDF representative.

In addition, Israel has frozen various ongoing cellular communications projects with the PA.

Livni said that if the PA backs down from their unilateral moves, Israel would sit back down with them for further peace talks.

But the PA isn’t interested in talking more, and instead has come up with a list of new, and rather ridiculous preconditions for continuing talks, including: releasing 1200 terrorists, releasing terror chief Marwan Barghouti, a building freeze in eastern Jerusalem, Israel recognizing East Jerusalem as the PA capital, Israel acknowledging the 1967 armistice line with Jordan as the border with the PA, granting Israeli citizenship to 15000 Palestinian Authority citizens, barring the IDF from Area A, giving the PA more authority in Area C, and stopping the weapons blockade on Gaza, and a few more – and that’s just as a precondition to talk.

Later in the evening, the Gazans launched 3 rockets towards Sderot. They landed in open fields, and no damage or injuries were reported.

Bayit Yehudi Minister Naftali Bennett had his own response to the PA’s threat to join more UN groups, and that is that Abbas is financing terror, and Bennett plans to put Abbas and the PA in the international legal and diplomatic cross-hairs.

UPDATE: Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat has suspended the eviction order against the protesters, saying the only limits on their stay would be the same as had been imposed on the supporters of the Gilad Shalit prisoner exchange, who were not allowed to sleep there.

Mayor Barkat told Tazpit News Agency the evacuation order had been done without his knowledge and that it was the families’ “democratic right to protest, and we not only not prevent it, we will help them.” He apologized for the mistake.

Barkat added: “The pain of the bereaved families is obvious. Everyone understands it, including those in the government. Some of these families have paid this price once, twice, three and four times already.”

According to Tazpit, members of city government approached the mayor this morning, asking him if he was aware of the summons issued by a city inspector. When the mayor heard that he acted at once to prevent an even bigger public relations disaster and rushed to the protest tent to deliver the message and to apologize personally.

Published earlier:

Families of victims of Arab terror were shocked to learn this morning that their protest tent opposite the Prime Minster’s residence is to be removed.

The families are protesting the upcoming release of 26 terrorists who murdered innocents Israelis as well as Arabs.

The Jerusalem Municipality ordered the removal of the protest tents after it they were put up only a few days ago.

The terror victims association Almagor claims that on the list of terrorists to be released tomorrow are terrorists who are also Israeli citizens, according to a report in Arutz-7.

The organization says this goes against the promise made to them, that at least Arab terrorists who are also Israeli citizens would be released to the Palestinian Authority during this prisoner release.

Almagor is preparing a petition to the Supreme Court to block the release of those Arab terrorists they claim are also Israeli citizens.

Two convoys left the Ayalon prison on Tuesday night at around 9 pm, carry 26 terrorists who were released as the first part of an Israeli gesture to the Palestinian Authority.

One convoy, carrying 15 terrorists traveled to the Erez junction, near Gaza, where those terrorists were released. The second convoy, carrying 11 terrorists, went to Ofer prison, and then on to the Beitunia checkpoint. The conveys reached their destinations after midnight.

Palestinian Authority Arabs have gathered to greet the terrorists upon their arrival. Over 1000 Arabs have gathered at the Muqata in Ramallah to greet the freed terrorists, and Palestinian Authority leader Mahmoud Abbas will be leading a welcoming ceremony.

Hamas has issued a ban on Fatah (PLO) organized celebrations in Gaza, and instead will be holding their own celebration event later in the week.

Correcting a mistake made in the many previous terrorist releases, Israel decided to use windowless vans to transport the terrorists, so at least within Israel controlled areas, they couldn’t make their victory displays to the media. Israel also released the prisoners late at night, in order to minimize attendance at the Palestinian Authority celebration parties.